Hauser & Wirth Publishers releases facsimile of Robert Lebel's 1959 Marcel Duchamp monograph

Hauser & Wirth Publishers has unveiled a facsimile edition of Robert Lebel's 1959 monograph on Marcel Duchamp, which was initially published in both French and English. This reissue signifies the beginning of Duchamp's recognition in the postwar era. An art historian and advocate for Surrealism, Lebel presents a seamless narrative of Duchamp's life and oeuvre. The translation by George Heard Hamilton renders Lebel's writing comprehensible for English-speaking audiences. Distinct from subsequent critiques, Lebel highlights the ethical aspects of Duchamp's methods, viewing the readymade as a challenge to traditional values. The monograph spans Duchamp's pivotal years, from Nude Descending a Staircase (1912) to Fountain (1917) and The Large Glass (1923). Duchamp passed away in 1968, yet his legacy remains influential.